Tambo Teddies 17 Arthur Street, Tambo Qld 4478 Phone/Fax (07) 4654 6223 Manufacturers of sheepskin toys and the famous Tambo Teddy Email: tamboteddies@bigpond.com Website: www.tamboteddies.com.au

Tambo: Famous for its teddies

CREATED by three local women who started with a secondhand fur overlocker and a sewer, Tambo Teddies has gone from a fledgling business to virtually a household name in 14 years.

The original design of a Tambo Teddy is still made, although the range of teddies has expanded over the years and the business has diversified into other sheepskin items such as seat-belt protectors and also indoor slippers. There are also a range of small toys such as mice and echidnas.

Tambo Teddies can be dressed in a range of outback clothing, such as a coat called a Bear-as-a-bone coat, hat, swag, moleskin trousers, check shirt and a stock whip - girls have a choice of floral or check shirts with moleskin skirts! One of the most popular teddies is the Bickie Bear, which is a huggie made from sheepskin ... just perfect for toddlers.

Each teddy is numbered and named after a property in the Tambo district, giving them personalities of their own. The year 2007 should see the 30,000th teddy constructed!

A limited edition teddy is also made - The Settler Series - and they are named after a family which settled the area in past years. The teddy being produced at the moment is called “Lewis” - there are only 100 of these teddies made in each series and “Lewis” is the seventh in the series.

Tambo Teddies attracts orders from all over Australia and overseas.

Situated at 17 Arthur Street, Tambo Teddies is open from 8.30am to 5.30pm on weekdays and Saturdays from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

The workshop and sales area is interesting from a historical aspect too, for the building was the town’s first shire chambers.